The Discovery
by PerfectPride
Summary: Cameron and Cuddy pairing. Cameron has a crush, but it’s no longer House that is the object of her affections. How does she deal with these new feelings, and how is she going to stop House from discovering them?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Discovery **

**Rating: M **

**Pairing: Cameron/Cuddy**

**Disclaimer: Disappointed to say that I don't own House MD or any of the characters.**

**Spoilers: Minor from Season 3.**

**Summary: Set towards the end of Season 3, before House gets his new team. Cameron has a crush, but it's no longer House that is the object of her affections. How does she deal with these new feelings, and how is she going to stop House from discovering them?**

**Reviews are very much appreciated, as is constructive criticism.**

* * *

Cameron wasn't exactly sure of when it began. Maybe it was at the neurology fundraiser when Cuddy decided to wear her most daring outfit yet (green silk with sparkling diamantes adorning the low cut neckline) or maybe it was an event more mundane such as a conversation during the clinic. All Cameron knew was that one night, sat alone at home with nothing but a glass of wine for company, she became aware of it.

She liked Cuddy.

_Really_ liked her.

There were a million and one reasons why this was quite possibly the worst attraction Cameron had ever experienced in her entire life, three of which Cameron knew meant she could never even think about revealing her feelings. Reason one; she'd have to remain alert every waking moment at the hospital. This was to ensure that House didn't work out that when she stared at Cuddy as she walked down the corridor; she was admiring _everything_ but the Manolo shoes she was wearing. Otherwise, humiliation was guaranteed. Secondly, the very fact that Lisa Cuddy was her boss meant that there was no way on earth she could ever find out, or chances were the older woman would use any means necessary to make sure the immunologist was no longer employed in her hospital. The last thing she would want would be to have a young female doctor with a crush on her working at her hospital. Thirdly, and most importantly, if Cuddy wasn't aware of Cameron's feelings then it enabled Cameron to fantasise, to kid herself that one day, dreams would become reality. If Cuddy knew that Cameron wanted her and took it upon herself to make it quite clear that she didn't feel the same; Cameron would be crushed. All in all, it was best if the attraction remained a secret, however hard that would be.

It was as she walked into Princeton Plainsborough Teaching Hospital for yet another day of torture that Cameron racked her brains for a solution. If she could just figure out how she'd suddenly fallen out of love with House, maybe that would be the key to solving this ridiculous crush she had on Cuddy. Because that was all it was; wasn't it? She didn't love her…

With a sigh, Cameron wondered just when her life had gotten so complicated. She longed for the days when she deigned to be with those within her reach, instead of people who would only serve to screw up her life more than it already was. Although saying that, give her emotionally retarded cripples and dying young gentlemen any day. Anything was better than falling for straight Dean's of Medicine, of that Cameron was sure.

* * *

"Let's play Hangman!" House suggested, much to the annoyance of Cameron and her fellows. As they currently had no patient House was bored, and Cuddy had apparently confiscated his portable television and Gameboy for the day in the hope that he would actually do some work.

No such luck.

"Here's an idea," Foreman spoke up. "Why don't we… I don't know… work?"

"That'd be a good suggestion if we actually had a patient," House replied sarcastically.

"So we go and find one; there has to be someone interesting here for us to diagnose," Foreman suggested.

"We could check the ER for patients?" Chase piped up.

"Booooring," House drawled, starting to doodle on the whiteboard.

"No, boring is sitting here, doing nothing!" Cameron exclaimed, her patience extremely limited today.

"Then you go find us a patient," House informed her, not intending for her to take him seriously.

"Fine," Cameron said stubbornly. "I will." She rose from her seat, and casting one last dirty look at House, exited the room. She wasn't sure where she was going, only that it would be as far from House as possible. She decided the clinic would be a good place for her to go, as not only was there a chance that a suitable patient would be found there, but House avoided the clinic like the plague.

At times like this, Cameron didn't have to wonder why she no longer wanted House. He was a rude, arrogant asshole, and she struggled to see how she could ever have found this endearing. However, she couldn't see what was so similar about House and Cuddy, and therefore, could see no reason as to why she would have fallen for the other woman. Of course, Cuddy easily matched House in sarcasm and wit, but there was no way on earth she has had a crush on Cuddy for being a sarcastic idiot. They were different genders, and completely different people.

"Penny for them?" Cameron heard from behind her. She shook her head free of her thoughts, and was surprised to discover that she was already in the clinic.

Swivelling around, Cameron discovered Wilson standing behind her. "I'm sorry; what?" she asked.

"Your thoughts," He explained. "You've been standing there staring into space for several minutes now. Are you ok?"

Cameron forced a smile. "I'm fine. House is just being House and has sent me to find a patient for us to diagnose. Don't suppose you have any?"

"Sorry, can't help you there," Wilson shook his head as he spoke.

Cameron opened her mouth to excuse herself when she heard the familiar clatter of heels from behind her. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, she involuntarily shivered as the woman whom she couldn't stop thinking about stood next to her.

"Wilson… need a favour," Cuddy stated, paying no attention whatsoever to Cameron.

"I'm invisible to her," Cameron found herself thinking bitterly.

"Cameron?" Wilson addressed her. "Will you do that for me?"

Cursing herself for not paying attention once again, Cameron replied, "Do what?"

"Tell House I can't buy him lunch because I need to sort out this paperwork for Dr. Cuddy."

Cameron nodded distractedly. "Sure." She made to walk away when a hand on her arm prevented her from doing so. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Cameron looked back and forth between Wilson and Cuddy, taking note that both had a concerned expression on their faces. Once again fixing her eyes on Wilson, Cameron assured him, "I'm fine, really." Trying not to blush too hard in the presence of Cuddy, she hurried away, wanting to find somewhere that she could be alone with her thoughts for a while.

However, it seemed that today fate conspired against her, as she heard her name being called once again. "Cameron!"

Continuing to walk on, Cameron half heartedly shouted back to Cuddy, "I'm busy!" before continuing in the opposite direction. She heard Cuddy's heels behind her as they came closer, the Dean hurrying so as to catch Cameron up.

"This won't take long," she insisted, walking side by side with Cameron.

"What is it?" Cameron kept her eyes firmly fixed ahead, knowing that one look at Cuddy and she would melt into pieces.

"Are you sure everything is alright? You seem on edge," Cuddy told her, worried.

Deciding that at least the fact Cuddy had noticed she was distracted meant that she wasn't entirely invisible to her, Cameron shrugged off her concern. "Nothing's wrong."

"Y'know… you could at least say that like you meant it," Cuddy placed a hand on Cameron's arm, effectively stopping her from walking. "What's going on, Cameron? House giving you a hard time about something?"

"No," Cameron said truthfully, facing Cuddy but avoiding direct eye contact. Then, a stroke of inspiration hit her, and she turned the conversation around. "But if you don't give him back his toys soon he's going to drive us all crazy."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Is that what this is about? You're in a mood with me, because House is in a mood with you, because he's bored? Stop being so petulant would you?"

Annoyed that Cuddy had gotten it completely wrong, Cameron defended herself, "That's not it at all!" She nearly added that Cuddy was the one acting like a child for taking away House's possessions, but decided that getting herself sacked probably wasn't the best career move she could make. Instead she added, "Just forget it."

Unbeknownst to Cameron, as she walked away Cuddy stared after her; sure that she was missing something about her employee. Exactly what, she couldn't figure out, but confident that time would tell, she shook her head and began the journey back to her office.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews, it's nice to have my writing appreciated! On with the next part...**

* * *

On it went, endless as time. Each day Cameron awoke, she told herself that she would forget about Cuddy, would focus on her work, and each day, she failed abysmally. House had picked up on the fact that she was grumpier than usual, and had fun suggesting various reasons as to why this was. It was almost amusing when he suggested she may be pregnant, but when he eventually got around to guessing that she'd fallen in love with yet another dying man, her tolerance for his behaviour was severely waning. This was why, at precisely quarter past ten in the morning, Cameron could be found yelling at House in his office.

"For once would you just leave it alone?!" She knew her face was turning red as she felt the blood rush to it from elsewhere in her body. This was a clear indicator of how little more she was prepared to take from him, and she decided that should he make yet another smarmy comment, she wouldn't be held liable for her actions. There wasn't a court in the country that would convict her for smacking him over the head with his own cane, of that she was sure.

"That's just the thing Cameron; leave what alone?" He grinned, knowing he was pushing her to the brink.

"I… it… ARGH!" Cameron growled, frustrated further, if that were possible.

Just when Cameron had started to think things couldn't get any worse, she heard Cuddy behind her say, "House… what the hell is going on in here?"

Shutting her eyes and slowly counting to ten, Cameron tried to stay calm. Eventually she worked up the guts to turn around, and as House hadn't yet answered Cuddy's question, she took it upon herself to. "I'm going to leave now. _You_ deal with him." The venom in her voice was evident, but for once, Cuddy didn't call her on it. It seemed that even she was unwilling to provoke Cameron when she was in this mood, the rareness of its' occurrence serving to strengthen its' effect.

Cameron left the room as she'd stated she would, but she stopped when slightly down the corridor as she heard House say, "So, what are your theories on why our resident immunologist has become Satan's twin? What with you being Satan herself and everything?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Cuddy snapped. Cameron heard a thud, the sound of paperwork being thrown onto House's desk. "You need to finish these forms by the end of the week."

"I'll get Chase to sort it," House quipped lightly. "Something tells me it might not be the best idea to hand it to Cameron right now."

"Is she really that bad?" Cuddy asked, seemingly intrigued.

"Put it this way," House replied. "Her mood is worse than yours when it's your time of the month, I'm avoiding clinic duty, and the canteen has run out of frozen yoghurt."

When Cuddy's reply was muffled, Cameron took a step back, careful to remain out of House's sight. As nosey as it was to eavesdrop, the very fact that the conversation was about her meant she felt more than justified in doing so.

"So like, you'll totally have kinky sex with her and put a smile back on her face?" Cameron heard House say next, and immediately she panicked. Did Cuddy know how she felt, or was House just making one of his usual jokes? It took all the self-control she possessed not to go storming in there and asking what was going on. If only she'd heard what Cuddy's reply had been beforehand then she wouldn't have to reduce herself to guessing.

Cameron leant further backwards, not wanting to miss what Cuddy said next. "I'll get right onto that," she said sarcastically. "Just lay off her House and I'll see what I can do."

Realising that it was too risky to hang around any longer in case Cuddy exited, Cameron quickly scuttled away. That had been sarcasm in Cuddy's voice, hadn't it? Cameron shook her head, trying to clear her mind. If she didn't have such an interfering and annoying boss in the form of House, then her crush on Cuddy wouldn't be half as bad. As it was everything was made ten times worse by her intense fear that House would discover her feelings, and proceed to make her life twice as hard as it already was.

If that were possible.

* * *

"Cameron!"

It was past the end of her shift and once again, Cameron heard Cuddy shout her name from behind her. Reluctantly she stopped, suspecting that Cuddy had come to question her and discover what the problem was. In as casual a voice as she could muster she replied, "Yes?

Cuddy had an unreadable expression on her face. "Could I have a word with you in my office? It won't take long."

Knowing there was no way that she could refuse, Cameron nodded. She followed Cuddy, allowing her to lead the way. It took all the self-control she possessed not to stare at the sway of Cuddy's hips as she walked confidently ahead. All it would take was one look from House and he would realise exactly why Cameron had been acting so strangely as of late, and so on the off chance he was around, Cameron tore her eyes away.

Upon entering the office, Cuddy lingered next to the door until Cameron had passed through, enabling her to shut the door behind them. "Please, take a seat." She gestured towards the chair opposite her side of the desk, then she herself chose to sit in her usual chair.

Cameron obeyed the orders, anxiously clasping her hands together as she did so. All wide blue eyes and trembling bottom lip, she played the perfect part of a scared little girl; without even wanting or trying to. Noticing this, Cuddy smiled warmly, instructing her, "Don't look so nervous."

Cameron attempted to smile, trying to formulate some sort of a plan in her head. What on earth was she going to say to Cuddy if she asked her what was going on and making her act so differently to usual? Cameron barely had time to process this thought when Cuddy spoke again. "Look, I'll get straight to the point. You're not yourself lately, and it's concerning to some. Is there anything you'd like to get off your chest, tell me about?" Cuddy's tone was kind, gentle, almost like that of a caring friend.

Except she wasn't Cameron's friend; she was her boss, her crush. Delete as applicable.

"Everything is fine, great," Cameron insisted. "I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm good. Excellent, even." She knew she was rambling, but was powerless to stop the words from forming and being spoken aloud. She was anything but in control at this moment in time.

Cuddy frowned. "I take it you've heard of the phrase, "Thou doth protest too much"? Come on; tell me what's going on with you?" In an unexpected move, she leant across the desk, taking Cameron's hands in her own.

"Really, there's nothing," Cameron lied, struggling to keep a blank face even more now Cuddy was physically touching her.

"I'm not stupid, Cameron. Neither is House. Whatever it is you're hiding; he'll find out eventually," she said sombrely. "And to be frank, I myself am worried about you."

Touched at Cuddy's words, though she knew she shouldn't be, Cameron said softly, "You don't need to be."

Cuddy sighed, pulling back her hands. Cameron immediately missed the warmth. Defeated, Cuddy said, "Well, I can see this conversation is going nowhere. But remember, if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here."

Forcing another smile, Cameron said as happily as possible, "Thanks." Standing up, she added, "I'm going to be off now… my shift finished hours ago."

Nodding, Cuddy watched her go. There was something amiss; of that she was sure. Knowing she was powerless to do anything else, she shook all thoughts of the young immunologist from her mind, and instead, attempted to concentrate on her paperwork.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the feedback you guys, it's amazing!**

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As the days went on, Cameron began to gain more and more control over herself and her feelings towards Cuddy by avoiding the older woman. Silly, but if it worked then who was Cameron to neglect the idea? In fact, she appeared to be so good at it that even House had seemingly given up on trying to discover what her secret was. Pleased that she was finally getting some peace from him, she agreed to cover his clinic duty, and consequently found herself needing to speak to Wilson about a patient that she herself had previously examined.

Making the journey from the clinic to Wilson's office, Cameron found herself desperately praying that she was wrong about her patient. The blood test she had taken from the young girl had shown that she had leukaemia, and by the looks of it, she was in the late stages of the illness. Wilson would be able to inform her as to whether a bone marrow transplant was a viable option, and so, Cameron sought out the Consultant Oncologist.

Knocking on his door, Cameron didn't wait for a reply, confidently striding in. She stopped, taking in the scene before her as she saw Cuddy and Wilson sitting closely together, apparently displaying intimacy, as indicated by the close proximity between the two. Though it wasn't necessarily romantic, as soon as they looked towards her they moved apart, glancing at each other awkwardly before stopping their conversation.

"Oh, sorry, I'll come back later," Cameron apologised, blushing as she realised she'd interrupted something. What exactly that something was, she wasn't sure, she just knew it made her feel sick to the stomach at the fleeting thought that it may have been passion.

"No need," Cuddy stood, though she didn't meet Cameron's eye. "I was just about to leave."

"Oh," Cameron stated dumbly. "You don't have to on my account, this won't take long." As pathetic as it was she had a sudden urge to remain in the presence of Cuddy, feeling the control she had managed to gain in the past few days slowly seep out of the window. It seemed that five seconds in the same room as Cuddy undid five days of hard work in which she tried to think of anything but the Dean.

Great, just great.

"Yes well, I'd better be getting on anyway, lots to do," Cuddy sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah…" Cameron's voice trailed off as she was unsure of what to say in reply. It would probably be best to just let Cuddy leave the room. Deciding to do what she'd come here to do, she moved to hand the file she held in her hand to Wilson. She remained on the opposite side of the desk to him, deliberately not looking Cuddy's way as she exited the room, shutting the door behind her. "Can you take a look at this patient's file for me; tell me what you think the best course of action is?"

"Sure," Wilson muttered distractedly, taking the papers from her.

Hovering nervously on the spot as she waited, Cameron couldn't help herself from blurting out, "Is Cuddy ok?"

Wilson looked sharply at her, deflecting with the question, "Why wouldn't she be?"

Trying to seem nonchalant now that she had started this conversation, Cameron shrugged. "She looked like there was something on her mind."

"Not as far as I'm aware," Wilson told her.

Cameron bit her nails, wondering how to word her next question. Biting the bullet and just coming out with it, she asked, "How long have you known Cuddy?"

"Since I started working at this hospital," Wilson answered truthfully, briefly wondering why Cameron was asking him this, though he was too engrossed in the patient's stats to ask her why she wanted to know.

"You're good friends?" Cameron questioned him.

"I suppose," Wilson replied, flicking through the pages, scanning the notes Cameron had made. Coming to a conclusion on the patient he said, "There's nothing that can be done for her except palliative care."

"Are you sure?" Cameron was diverted from the subject of Cuddy.

"Positive," Wilson said, handing her back the file. "You'd better tell her then sort out the referral papers for me."

"Right," Cameron said sadly, accepting that there was nothing more she could do. Why could things never go the way she wanted them to? "I'll sort it now." Shoulders drooping, she left the office, wondering why she put herself through this. She had no personal life to speak of, her career was severely jeopardised by the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about her female boss, and patient after patient ended up dying before her eyes, whilst she was powerless to do anything.

Life was too fucking complicated.

* * *

"What's on your mind, Jimmy boy?" House asked as he swaggered into Wilson's office.

"Nothing, nothing. Just had some strange conversations today, that's all," Wilson informed his best friend.

"Such as?" House was intrigued. He liked strange, it beat normal any day.

"First of all I had Cuddy in here asking about Cameron, and did I know if she was ok?" he stated.

"Not so strange… I talked to Cuddy about Cameron. Told her that Cameron hasn't been her usual annoying self lately and that she's been bitchier than Cuddy with PMT. Though Cameron has been fairly happy these past few days, which is strange in itself. Cameron doesn't do happy," House explained. "But Cuddy is obviously playing Detective and trying to get one up on me by finding out what's wrong with our darling Immunologist before I do."

"I guess that makes sense," Wilson agreed.

"Sure does," House quipped. "Did you tell her anything?"

"I know nothing to tell," Wilson held his hands in the air, defending himself. "And even if I did I wouldn't have had the chance to tell her; Cameron walked in mid conversation and she herself proceeded to grill me on Cuddy the moment Cuddy left the room."

"Now that," House leant forward. "Is interesting."

"It is?" Wilson frowned.

"Uh huh," House nodded. "What did she ask you?"

"Just things like was Cuddy ok, how long had I known her, were we friends?" Wilson replied.

House pondered this information for a few moments, before a grin started forming on his face. Then, mumbling to himself he said, "Oh Cameron, Cameron, Cameron…"

"What?" Wilson was confused by House's behaviour.

"Excuse me Jimmy… things to do, people to see!" House hoisted himself up off the chair, rapidly leaving Wilson's office without speaking another word. He needed confirmation of his theory before he decided on what to do next. The only way he would get confirmation would be to observe Cameron in the presence of Cuddy whilst she was still clueless as to his hypothesis, and then, watch her reaction when he called her on it.

Boy was this going to be fun!

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	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for continuing to review!**

* * *

"You paged me?" Cameron panted, stumbling towards House where he was sitting at his desk. She was breathless having ran the entire way to the diagnostics department.

"Yep," House nodded.

"Well what's the panic then?" Cameron asked, irritable. She clutched her side, rubbing her stitch and trying to make it go away.

"There isn't one," House informed her.

"Your page was labelled "Urgent; my office in less than 2 minutes!" Cameron exclaimed. "I thought you'd gotten yourself shot again or something!"

"Don't be silly, I would have paged Foreman if I'd gotten shot. My homie would have sorted out the bad guy for me," He winked.

Cameron groaned. "Why do you do this to me, House?"

House smirked, his grin widening as he heard heels coming down the corridor.

"Well?" Cameron demanded.

House was saved from answering as Cuddy strode into the room. "I came as soon as possible… I was in a meeting. What is it?"

House shrugged.

"House!" Cuddy rose her voice. "I don't have time for this! What do you need?"

Before House could open his mouth to come out with a snappy retort, Cameron answered for him. "He doesn't need anything; he's just winding you up." Then as an afterthought she added, "And for that matter; me too." As she spoke she didn't look at Cuddy, finding that it was easier to remain in control of her feelings if she couldn't actually see her.

An expression of anger on her face, Cuddy walked towards House. "You called me here for nothing?"

"Pretty much," House admitted, glancing from one woman to the other. As of yet Cameron hadn't revealed anything. She hadn't looked at Cuddy when she spoke to the Dean, but that wasn't confirmation, that was just something which House could add to his list of suspicions.

"Do you have _no_ self-control?" Cuddy started her rant. "I mean really, what have you gained from this? I yell at you, and that's about it. Unless that sort of thing turns you on? It probably does right? Actually, don't answer that, just don't talk!" Cuddy held up a hand, shutting her eyes and attempting to compose herself.

Cameron, for her part, did well in not reacting towards Cuddy's anger. She had struggled slightly when Cuddy uttered the words, "turn me on" but had managed to keep her expression impassive; something that was vitally important when House was around.

"This has to stop, House," Cuddy continued. "Next time you're bored just… watch television or bug Wilson. Leave me out of it."

"For that matter; me too," Cameron added, gazing at House with what could only be described as disgust. How had she _ever_ had a crush on him? Cuddy was an understandable crush; authoritative, well dressed, beautiful and intelligent. House was intelligent, sure, but he was also rude, scruffy, annoying and childish. Everything Cameron _didn't_ want in a partner. Shaking her head, she turned to leave, not realising that Cuddy had moved position and consequently, she bashed straight into her.

Flustered, Cameron immediately began apologising, out of nerves more than anything. "God, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?"

Cuddy brushed off Cameron's concern. "I'm fine, Dr. Cameron. Don't worry about it." She smiled kindly at the immunologist, wishing to put her at ease. Instead she somehow achieved the opposite, and Cameron looked her up and down, her eyes flashing wildly. When Cuddy locked eyes with her Cameron turned a deeper shade of red, and with a look of horror on her face, quickly walked from the room.

Turning back towards House, Cuddy asked, confused, "What was that all about?"

House grinned at his boss. "Wouldn't you like to know…"

"House," Cuddy said, a dangerous tone in her voice. "What's going on with Cameron? She's acting… weird around me."

House attempted to look innocent, not wanting to tell Cuddy his suspicions until he'd had a chance to wind up Cameron. "Nothing."

Cuddy opened her mouth to lecture House some more, when he hauled himself up, and stated, "Places to be, Cuddy. Catch you later."

Knowing that there was no way House would admit anything to her when he was in a mood like this, and needing to get back to her meeting anyway, Cuddy let the subject drop.

For now.

* * *

Alone in an empty exam room, Cameron tried to steady her breathing. She was well aware that she'd just made a complete fool of herself in front of Cuddy, and could only hope that the older woman didn't confront her about her behaviour. She had been coping just fine until Cuddy had smiled _that_ smile at her, making her heart pound harder and harder in her chest, driving her crazy with lust. Nevertheless, she loved her job too much to quit, and didn't want to go through the hassle of finding a new job, making new friends in a new working environment.

Cameron had just about composed herself when the door swung open. Her head shooting up, she inwardly groaned when she saw House standing before her.

"What do you want now?" She said irritably.

"Actually, I was just coming here to play my gameboy, and figured the clinic would be the last place Cuddy would think to look," House said, truthfully. He had planned on confronting Cameron later when he'd worked out how best to humiliate her, but seeing as she was here…

"I know," he announced.

"Excuse me?" Cameron was confused.

"I know your secret," House stated.

"Oh, that clarifies things," Cameron replied sarcastically.

House smirked. "Cuddy," He paused for effect. "You like her. _All_ of her."

Cameron's jaw dropped. How could he possibly know? She'd been so good at hiding it; hadn't she?

Judging by the way House was confidently looking at her now; obviously not. Still, there was no way she was admitting it, to him of all people! "This is a joke, right?" She attempted a laugh.

House shook his head.

"House, what are you on?!" Cameron exclaimed. "This is Cuddy we're talking about…"

"Duh," House said mockingly. "You know I'm right Cameron!"

Giving House a look of pure hatred, Cameron stormed past him out of the exam room and into the elevator. Not letting this deter him from his fun, House followed her into it, blocking her from leaving with his cane. Upon realising that they were the only two occupants, he immediately began to tease her again. "Cuddy and Cameron sitting in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" He grinned even more.

Close to tears by this point, Cameron got out on the next floor, determined to get as far away from House as possible. Running up the stairs seemed like a good option; he'd never be able to follow her then. However, not realising her intentions yet, House continued to follow her down the corridor, annoying her further. "So what is it that turns you on the most? It's the funbags, right? I mean the ass is great, sure, but those boobies…" He made a rude gesture with his free hand.

Trying to block out the sound of his voice, Cameron ignored him and quickened her pace.

"You know, I have it on good authority that she's a real animal in bed," House continued. "Fierce, strong. I guess you could compare her to a tiger, what with her being…"

"Shut up!" Cameron yelled, turning to face House. She'd finally had enough. "Just leave me alone!"

Cameron's anger only served to encourage House. "Leave you alone so you can fantasise about you and the Dean, huh?" He provoked. She may not have admitted it yet but this reaction confirmed his suspicions. Oh, he was good!

"You're pathetic!" Cameron shouted. "You don't have your own life so you have to mess with others! Where do you get off tormenting other people who've done nothing to deserve your stupid comments or insults or…"

"Sorry to interrupt," The sarcastic voice of Cuddy came from behind Cameron, interrupting her. "But would someone like to tell me exactly why you two are having a slanging match in the middle of the corridor?" Cuddy walked towards her employees, intending on getting to the bottom of this. Her meeting had been interrupted twice now, and she had no patience left.

Cameron visibly cringed as Cuddy took place standing next to her. Though she noticed this; Cuddy chose not to say anything.

"We're not arguing," House lied. "We're talking loudly."

Cameron shook her head, shocked by his gall. Even by House's standards, this was stirring up serious trouble.

"Cameron, are you going to fill me in on what the problem is?" Cuddy asked harshly. Screw being nice to the girl; it got her nowhere.

House saw the perfect opportunity to drop some hints. "Oh I'm sure Cameron will fill you in just about…"

"House!" Cameron pleaded. "Don't."

Cuddy sighed impatiently. "One of you is going to tell me what's going on. Who's it going to be?"

House looked at Cameron pointedly. Cameron returned his gaze with a begging expression firmly implanted on her face, imploring him to keep her secret.

Surprisingly, House chose to do as Cameron wished. Looking Cuddy straight in the eye he informed her, "Nothing."

Cuddy said disbelievingly, "Nothing?" She cursed House silently. "Do I look stupid?"

"Well any woman who dresses the way you do has to look stupid but as for being stupid…" House wound Cuddy up still not quite sure why he was doing as Cameron wanted. It wasn't because he was nice, that was for sure. Maybe he just wanted to reveal it at a later date? Yes, that was it; he wanted to prolong Cameron's agony. Blackmail her to do his evil deeds. That sounded good.

Realising that speaking to House in front of Cameron was going to reveal nothing, Cuddy decided to try a different tactic. "Cameron, go wait in my office for me," She instructed the young immunologist.

Horror-struck, Cameron numbly did as she was told without a word of protest. It wasn't like protesting was doing her any good, so she may as well do as Cuddy wanted and hope that House kept his mouth shut.

Yeah. Right.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the continuing feedback, I love it!**

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Dragging House into a side room, Cuddy immediately began interrogating him. "Cameron? Explain what the hell is up with her and I'll let you off clinic for a week." Bribing him was her best chance of getting him to confess.

House was torn. On the one hand, revealing what he knew now benefited him with a week off clinic. On the other, keeping quiet meant he could get Cameron to carry out his outrageous demands for an infinite amount of time as long as he kept her secret. Decisions, decisions. Stalling, he replied, "Do I get a week of sex too?"

Cuddy gave him a disgusted look. "This isn't funny, House. If there's something going on with Cameron that I need to know about then tell me."

"You don't need to know about it, that's the point!" House huffed. Forget telling Cuddy, on this occasion, Cameron was his girl.

"I do if it's affecting Cameron's ability to work," Cuddy counter argued. "Which it evidently is."

"Only when you're around…" House muttered.

"What was that?" Cuddy asked him sharply.

"Nothing," House quipped brightly.

Staring angrily at House, Cuddy replied, "Fine, be like that. I'm going to go and see if Cameron will be more forthcoming when I speak to her this time."

"Don't count on it!" House exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. What he wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall when that conversation took place. Making a mental note to enquire as to whether he'd secretly be able to install cameras in Cuddy's office, he hobbled out of the room after Cuddy, turning in the opposite direction to go and bully Chase.

* * *

Cuddy entered her own office apprehensively, wondering how best to approach this. She knew that if she yelled at Cameron she would be likely to freeze up completely and either run away or start crying. Seeing as Cuddy wished for neither of these things to happen, that probably wasn't the best course of action. On the other hand, were she too nice to Cameron she would be thought of as a pushover and Cameron would realise that she could easily get away with lying to her boss.

Torn, Cuddy decided on just going with the flow and seeing how things turned out. Beckoning to a standing Cameron to come and sit on the couch, she joined the other woman, hoping that a slightly more informal setting would put Cameron at ease. The blinds were shut, so hopefully privacy would work in her favour too.

Judging by the way she was fidgeting with her hands and staring down into her lap; obviously not. "Cameron," Cuddy said her name softly. "Will you please tell me what's wrong? Whatever you've done or not done, I won't be angry. House is obviously driving you mad and I might be able to help you."

Above all else, Cameron was surprised that House hadn't said anything. She was sure he would have taken great delight in humiliating her, and the fact that he had kept quiet touched her, reminded her of why she had fallen for him in the first place. If only she could fall for him again then all this would be solved. But she couldn't make herself feel something that just wasn't there.

"Cameron?" Cuddy prompted. "Talk to me, let me help."

Cameron actually wanted to cry at Cuddy's words. If only it were that simple. Denying there was a problem, refusing to meet Cuddy's eye, she stated, "I told you; I'm fine. A little more stressed than usual maybe, but House is just being House. There's no big secret, honestly."

Knowing that avoiding eye contact was one of the signs of a lie being told, Cuddy was not to be deterred. "What were you arguing about in the corridor just now?"

"A patient," Cameron said the first thing that came into her head.

"You don't have one," Cuddy stated.

"A patient from the clinic," Cameron was clutching at straws now.

Cuddy sighed, willing herself not to raise her voice as it would only serve to make Cameron clam up. "Come on, just tell me. It can't be that bad." Reaching out to the young doctor, she placed a hand on Cameron's arm.

Flinching at the contact, Cameron immediately felt her face start to turn red. Looking in the opposite direction to Cuddy, she stuttered, "You think?"

Cuddy felt a small glimmer of hope. Cameron was now non-directly admitting that something was going on, through her refusal to deny accusations of a problem. At the same time, she noticed Cameron begin blushing, and realised that she was slowly shuffling towards the other side of the couch, in the opposite direction to her. And in that moment, all became clear. Cameron was acting strangely because of _her_. As if she… had a crush on her.

Everything fell into place.

"Can I ask you something?" Cuddy said nervously, wondering if Cameron would admit it if she was asked outright.

"Isn't that what you're already doing? Questioning me?" Cameron sighed.

Cuddy paused. If she'd read this situation wrongly, it could make for a very embarrassing situation for both of them. Realising that saying something now probably wouldn't be the best move she could make; Cuddy knew there was one last person she could turn to.

House.

"Will you wait here for five minutes?" Cuddy asked. "I'll be as quick as I can, there's just something I need to do."

Drained by the day's events, Cameron shrugged. "Sure." Deep down she hoped that a few minutes apart from Cuddy would allow her to gather herself.

Standing up, Cuddy hurried off to speak to House. If she asked him a direct question there was always the chance he wouldn't tell her. However, if she insinuated something had happened between Cameron and herself, House would be bound to reveal if Cameron's secret was what Cuddy suspected was a crush on her.

Determined, Cuddy made her way to House's office.

* * *

Lucky for her, he was sat there, playing on his computer. Or downloading porn, Cuddy wasn't sure which, and she didn't wish to know.

"Cuddy," He said, upon noticing her arrival. "How is my stunning immunologist doing?"

"Oh, she's _good_," Cuddy drawled.

House looked up sharply. "Meaning…?"

Cuddy shrugged nonchalantly. "Meaning nothing," She smiled, and then pretended to hide it. "Nothing at all."

House frowned. "So, why are you here?"

"Oh, I just came to tell you I don't think you'll be having any more problems with Cameron," Cuddy announced, clearing her throat. "She's uhh, she's a lot more relaxed now."

House digested this information, and House being House, immediately came to a conclusion based on the facts before him. "She told you?" He was utterly shocked. He didn't think Cameron had it in her. "What, did she just come out with it?"

Cuddy grinned, happy to see that she had managed to fool House. "Wouldn't you like to know…" she said huskily.

"Oh come on, give me details," House leant forward. "Did she just jump you there and then? No, not her style is it? Oh God, she didn't proclaim her undying love to you did she?" He pretended to puke.

Wiping the smile off her face, Cuddy reverted back to the truth now that she knew all she needed to. "She did neither."

House looked confused, a rare occurrence. "Then what did she do? Or say?"

Cuddy leant towards him. "Nothing. She did nothing, she said nothing. Thanks for confirming my suspicions though."

Realising that Cuddy had got one over on him, House groaned. "What are you going to do to her?"

"That," Cuddy whispered. "Is none of your business."

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews once again! They make me smile. :-)**

* * *

In actual fact, Cuddy had no idea what she was going to do. Of all the things she had expected to discover about Cameron, this was the last thing she would ever have imagined. Aside from the fact that she'd still thought Cameron had a crush on House, she had thought the young woman was a hundred percent straight. Learning that she wasn't was… well, enlightening to say the least. She wasn't sure what to do for the best; did she speak to Cameron about it, or pretend she didn't know anything? As for indulging her crush; that wasn't an option. Yes, Cameron was extremely attractive, but she was also just… _Cameron_. Intense and emotional, she wasn't Cuddy's type.

Not one little bit.

So, it was settled. Cuddy most certainly would not be starting any sort of relationship with Cameron; no matter what. What did need to be considered was that pretending she didn't know could lead to future awkward situations. Therefore it was probably best to tell her that there was no way on earth anything could ever occur between the two of them. If Cameron didn't like it, didn't feel comfortable with working at the hospital anymore, then it was too bad. Cuddy wouldn't be harsh in informing her of this, but she would be firm, allow Cameron not the slightest bit of hope. Chances were she would overcome her feelings eventually anyway; move onto someone new. Hopefully it would be Wilson; Cameron was exactly the type of girl he would go for. Young. Needy. Wilson and Cameron would be ideal, and Cuddy found herself praying that this was a future possibility.

It was too soon that Cuddy found herself standing outside her own office door. Her secretary looked at her as though she were mad; staring, unmoving, apprehensive about entering her own office. Annoyed, Cuddy instructed her to take a break, taking out her nerves on the innocent young woman. Still, this wasn't the time to be feeling guilty; she would be feeling enough of that later. Now was the time to psych herself up for what was sure to be an awkward conversation.

* * *

"Hey," Cuddy smiled at the young doctor as she entered her office, taking a seat beside Cameron once again.

"Hey," Cameron replied nervously.

"Look, I'm really not sure how to say this properly, so I'm just going come out and say it," Cuddy announced awkwardly. "I uhh, had a chat with House."

"You did?" Cameron felt the lump in her throat grow, knowing that House must have said something.

"Yeah and… well I just spoke to him for confirmation of what I suspected really," Cuddy tried to explain.

Cameron knew what Cuddy was about to say, she could tell just by looking at her face, and she realised that she couldn't hear it. Hearing it would make it all seem too real, and would probably only serve to damage the existing working relationship she had with Cuddy. If she stopped it all before Cuddy gave her I-don't-like-you-like-that lecture then maybe things wouldn't be so bad. Therefore, forcing a brave smile onto her face she spoke as firmly as possible saying, "You don't need to continue, Dr. Cuddy. It's fine, I understand, forget it."

Relief washed over Cuddy as she realised she wouldn't have to embarrass herself trying to word her thoughts to Cameron. Now all she would have to do was convince House to leave Cameron alone; it was the least she could do. "I'll speak to House," She informed her. "Tell him not to make trouble for you."

Cameron shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Just… just let me deal with him."

Cuddy started, "I really think…"

"No," Cameron interrupted. "Please, I can handle him."

Reluctantly, Cuddy nodded. "Ok. But if there's anything I can do…" She allowed her voice to trail off, her intentions clear.

Cameron almost joked that Cuddy could reconsider her feelings on the matter, but somehow she didn't think the Dean would appreciate her making light of the situation. Humour was not the way to deal with this; but putting it all behind her was. Rising to her feet she stated, "I should go."

Cuddy too rose up from her seat. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry," she apologised.

Though Cameron did her best to conceal the hurt from her eyes, she failed miserably. Covering up her true feelings had never been one of her strongest talents. "Don't," She said softly.

Cuddy placed a hand on Cameron's arm, but seeing the look on her face thought better of it and pulled away. "If things were different…"

"Then you still wouldn't be interested," Cameron said firmly.

"No," Cuddy protested, and she suddenly felt the need to explain despite the awkwardness. "Look I know you said you understand but you don't. I need you to know that this isn't you… it's everything else. You're beautiful, intelligent and a fantastic doctor, but not only am I your boss, I can't be what you need."

Not expecting Cuddy to say this, Cameron pressed the issue, wanting to understand. "How do you know what I need?"

Unable to stop herself from sounding harsh, Cuddy informed her, "Cameron, you need someone to hold your hand, be strong and commit themselves to you. I can't do that. There's the hospital, my career, and please don't take this the wrong way, but the role of being your shoulder to cry on isn't what I want within a relationship."

Frowning, Cameron took offence at Cuddy's words. Angrily she exclaimed, "You know nothing! _Nothing. _Fair enough, you don't want me, but don't making fucking excuses, Cuddy. I didn't want you to be my shoulder to cry on!"

"Cameron…" Cuddy tried to placate her.

"In fact, after what you've just said… I don't want you at all. Thanks for making it easy for me!" Cameron lied, before pushing past Cuddy, and storming out of the office. It was anything but easy.

Cuddy was left alone, knowing that she couldn't follow Cameron. It was difficult, it really was, especially when she had been telling the truth. She could see how a relationship between them would work out; she envisioned it in her head. Cameron would have a tough day at work, lose a patient, come home, cry to Cuddy and spent the next few days in mourning. Cuddy couldn't deal with that alone, without the added fear of Cameron once again crushing on House or sleeping with Chase or… there was just too much to think about. For them not to be together at all, at least they wouldn't end up destructing because of the other. Cuddy maintained that it was for the best, that this was the only thing she could do, not realising that ultimately, denial was the easiest thing she herself could turn to.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for your continued support! The next part is up and ready for you. :-)**

* * *

For the next few weeks work was torture for Cameron. She felt nervous every time she had to be within close proximity to Cuddy, and therefore spent as much time as she could away from the clinic, where she was most likely to bump into her. After the way she had exited Cuddy's office, she had no desire to speak to her, especially considering that Cuddy would probably just tell Cameron to leave her alone. After all, Cuddy herself had made no attempts to speak to Cameron; a sure sign that she wanted nothing more to do with her.

House being House, he realised immediately that Cameron's feelings for Cuddy were not reciprocated. Or at least, he realised that was what she had told Cameron. Surprisingly he hadn't said anything, and though he had knowingly grinned at Cameron once or twice, for the most part he stayed away from the subject. At first Cameron had been suspicious that he was up to something, but by the time it was the third week since her crush was revealed, she had started to relax. Maybe he was bored with it, and had now moved onto bigger and better gossip, though Cameron couldn't imagine what that could be.

Whilst Cameron was sat at her desk staring into space and pondering these thoughts, House came up behind her.

"Cam-er-rooooon!" He sang, making her jump.

"God; House!" She exclaimed. "I didn't know you were there."

"Too busy daydreaming about a certain someone hmm?" He winked.

Cameron groaned inwardly. She should have known that he would mention Cuddy eventually. "No, I was thinking about a patient from the clinic actually."

"Yeah, right," House snorted.

"I was!" Cameron protested.

"So you're over Cuddy then?" House asked.

"Yes," Cameron lied, though she didn't quite meet House's eye.

"Tut tut… tell the truth, Cameron," House admonished. You've been close to tears way more than usual lately. At least five times a day as opposed to the usual three."

Giving House the filthiest look she could muster, Cameron stood up from her desk. "I don't have time for this."

"Sure you don't," House said as she began walking out of the room. "Fantasies to act out in your mind that are far more important, right?"

Cameron ignored him, walking away so that he couldn't see her tears develop.

* * *

"You know, I was so sure that you were going to do her within the confines of this very office," House mused, walking towards Cuddy.

"Huh?" Cuddy looked up distractedly from her papers, wondering what he was talking about.

"Cameron," He stated. "Your whole performance for me when you found out made me suspicious."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "I was wondering when you'd bring this up. How've you managed to keep it to yourself for all this time?"

"I wanted to observe your interactions without interfering. Have to be honest… I thought Cameron still had the hots for me. Seems she's looking for an older woman; not an older man."

"You're pathetic," Cuddy told him.

Ignoring her, House continued, "However, it has now become clear to me that my darling little Cameron is getting sadder and sadder as the days go by, all because the gorgeous Dean that she lusts after turned her down." He had a false look of devastation upon his face.

"You cannot be serious," Cuddy replied, standing up.

"Oh yeah," House nodded. "She's probably crying in the ladies right now actually, especially after what I…" His voice trailed off.

"After what you…?" Cuddy pressed.

"Forget it," House waved his arm around, realising that Cuddy would yell at him for teasing Cameron.

"House…" Cuddy said dangerously. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," He said innocently.

"Either you tell me right now or I'll make you attend the Oncology conference next month," she threatened.

"Fine," House caved. "I may have made a few comments. But nothing too bad!"

Cuddy shook her head, a disgusted look on her face. "You asshole."

"Gee, I love you too Cuddy," He said sarcastically.

Cuddy stood, moving towards the door. "Out," She insisted.

"Cuddy…" House whined.

"Out!" She exclaimed.

Finally, House listened and left her office, leaving her alone. She knew she was going to have to speak to Cameron again, but didn't know what she could say that would make things any better. Deciding just to wait until the younger doctor was in front of her to form her words, Cuddy shut her office door behind her, and realising that a page from her would probably be ignored by Cameron, she set off in search of her.

* * *

It was half an hour later that Cuddy located Cameron, sitting on the hospital roof and leaning back against a wall. She was staring straight ahead, though it was obvious from the red rims around her eyes that she had been crying. As Cuddy moved towards her, she didn't look over, seemingly oblivious to Cuddy's presence. Therefore, Cuddy perched herself on the ledge next to Cameron, smiling at her when Cameron eventually looked in her direction. "Hey," she said kindly.

"Hi," Cameron replied, her face straining as she half heartedly returned the smile.

"I'd ask how you are but I think that's kind of pointless," Cuddy said, as she brushed a thumb over Cameron's cheek. She knew she shouldn't considering Cameron's feelings, but she couldn't help herself. There was something inside giving her the urge to comfort the other woman, and she was relieved when Cameron didn't turn away from her.

"It's just one of those days," Cameron replied.

"You sure about that?" Cuddy asked. "Or is this because of me?"

"No," Cameron shook her head. "Just… House. Paperwork. House. Oh and House."

Cuddy smiled. "Yeah, I share your opinion. He told me he's been saying things to you, but he didn't say what. Not that it matters, I'll see to it that he's punished. Promise."

"Don't bother," Cameron told her. "It doesn't make a difference anyway."

"It might if I threaten to increase his clinic hours on a permanent basis," Cuddy said mischievously.

This at least made Cameron smile genuinely, even if it was only brief. "He'd never forgive you."

"Like I care," Cuddy said boldly.

Cameron didn't really know what to say in reply to that, so she opted for a change of subject. Casually she asked, "Anyway, why are you here?"

"Wanted to make sure you were alright," Cuddy admitted. "I spent half hour looking for you."

Cameron's face took on a surprised expression, and she couldn't help but press, "Why not just page me?"

"I uhh, thought you'd ignore it," Cuddy said awkwardly. "Especially after the way things ended between us last time we spoke."

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you," Cameron apologised.

"It's not a big deal," Cuddy assured her, but seeing the look upon Cameron's face, she realised that words weren't enough. She was staring at Cuddy with her bright blue eyes, and it only took a few seconds for Cuddy to realise that somewhere along the line, she'd fallen for the vulnerability that Cameron emanated. It hit her suddenly, the overwhelming urge to hug Cameron, and so, she enveloped the younger woman in her arms, holding her closely. Though Cameron was tense at first, she quickly relaxed and leant into Cuddy, resting her head upon Cuddy's shoulder.

"Thank you," Cameron whispered to her, and she held on tightly, making the most of the moment.

Eventually the two women broke apart, though they remained close, locking eyes with each other. Cuddy wasn't sure why, but she was drawn towards Cameron once again, and somehow their lips ended up locking in what was more than just a friendly kiss. Cuddy knew she should stop this now before things got worse, but she found herself powerless to, and instead she raised the stakes, gently pushing her tongue inside Cameron's mouth, tasting her, wanting her. For her part, Cameron encouraged it by pulling Cuddy closer to her, running her fingers through the curls that framed Cuddy's face. She couldn't breathe properly, couldn't think straight, this was everything she had ever wanted and yet…

She pulled away.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"You don't want me," Cameron said shakily, and then, more firmly she added, "And I don't want you either, not like this."

Bravely, Cameron stood to her feet, and forcing herself to, she walked away.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

**Again, thank you for all the lovely comments!**

* * *

The next day, neither Cameron or Cuddy had any desire to face each other. Cuddy was horrified by the way she had acted, initiating the kiss. She had felt something, and that more than anything else was worrying her. She put it down to being a one off, and refused to allow herself to think about the way Cameron had made her feel. On the other hand, Cameron was wondering if she had been too hasty in stopping things from progressing. Maybe if she'd allowed the situation to continue, Cuddy would have changed her opinion and viewed her differently. It was probably just wishful thinking, but still, there were doubts in Cameron's mind that nothing she did could get rid of. She desperately hoped that Cuddy would approach her first, allowing her to deduce what the situation was, and therefore behave according to it.

House being the observant human being that he was had noticed the change in their behaviour immediately. Cuddy was avoiding him, and Cameron was no longer teary, but seemingly worried about something. She kept biting her nails and shooting glances at the door, almost as though she expected someone to walk through it at any time. House was almost a hundred percent sure that that someone was Cuddy, though he couldn't prove it. Wondering how he was going to get them both in the same room (he was pretty sure that the paging idea wouldn't work again) he was just hoping that a situation would develop without his interfering, and watching Cameron talk to Chase, when he had a brainwave.

Picking up the telephone, he dialled Wilson's number. "Hello?" He heard his friend say.

"HELLO!" House bellowed, deciding there was no reason why this couldn't be fun.

"Uhh, this is Wilson, the now deaf oncologist," Wilson replied.

"Oh don't exaggerate," House admonished. "Need a favour."

"No," Wilson said immediately.

"Wilsooooon!" House whined. "It's a real easy one, and you won't even get into trouble. I might though."

"Go on…" Wilson's interest piqued.

"Call Cuddy and tell her you're not sure if it's true, but you've heard a rumour I'm causing trouble in diagnostics. Tell her I'm… subjecting Chase to male porn or something." He told Wilson.

"Do I get a reason why?" Wilson asked.

"Because Chase is doubting his sexuality." House lied, deliberately being annoying.

"I meant why I should do this," Wilson said dryly.

"Ohhhh," House faked understanding. "You don't wanna know."

"I'm pretty sure I do," Wilson insisted.

"I'll tell you later," House promised. "Just do it."

Hanging up, he picked up his coffee from the desk, and limped into the diagnostics room. He watched as Chase and Cameron spoke, sitting next to each other at the table. He glanced at his watch. He reckoned Wilson would be on the phone to Cuddy for around thirty seconds, and it would take the Dean around two minutes to make an appearance. Which meant he should put his plan into action right about…

Now.

Pulling the lid off his coffee, he "accidentally" tipped half of it over Chase's lap.

"Uhhh!" Chase exclaimed, shooting up and examining his pants. "What the hell, House?!"

"Ooops," House said, trying not to smirk. "I slipped."

"Yeah, right," Chase said sarcastically, trying to mop the coffee off himself.

"Hey… you're lucky it wasn't hot," House quipped.

"Sure I am," Chase said, extremely annoyed.

"Here," Cameron picked up some tissues. "I'll wipe it up." She proceeded to start soaking up the coffee from Chase's pants, pressing the tissues to his upper pant area and rubbing the pants dry. House had known she wouldn't leave Chase to do it himself; she was too maternal and caring to let him.

Hearing heels coming down the corridor, House grinned in anticipation. Things were about to get a whole lot more interesting. However, neither Chase or Cameron were paying attention, and Cameron merely continued trying to sort out Chase's pants. House knew he should move away, not allow them to see that he was listening intently, and so, he moved back through the door to his office, feigning disinterest. However, he remained on the other side, satisfied that they didn't know he was watching them as they didn't look in his direction.

Or in Cuddy's direction, either.

"Never thought I'd see the day when you touched my crotch again," Chase smirked. Both he and Cameron were wrapped up in their conversation, and truly were completely unaware that there were two pairs of eyes watching them.

"Enjoy it whilst it lasts," Cameron said dryly. "It won't be happening again."

"Really?" Chase asked. "Don't you miss it just a little bit?"

"Your crotch?" Cameron couldn't help giggling, despite her worries.

"I meant us," Chase said casually, though it was obvious he was genuinely curious.

"No," Cameron denied. "Well, kind of. I miss having someone there for me, making me laugh. Making me feel special. But I don't miss us being together, we weren't right for each other."

"Guess not," Chase said with a smile, though his eyes betrayed his sadness. "Still… drink this evening? Just as friends, obviously." He added quickly.

"Sure," Cameron nodded. "No getting me drunk though, understand?"

"Would I do that?" Chase asked innocently.

"Yes!" Cameron rolled her eyes. "Chase you're going to have to change these pants… there's nothing I can do to clean them up any more and it looks like you've wet yourself."

"Great," Chase said with a sigh. "Do you uhh… feel like helping me change?" He winked.

Cameron stood, leaning into him. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" she said playfully.

A cough from the door interrupted their interaction. Swiftly turning to face it, Cameron was dismayed to see that Cuddy was standing there, a face like thunder.

"What's going on, Dr. Chase?" She asked sharply. Playing the authority card was the only thing she could think of doing right now.

Startled by the fury in his bosses' eyes, Chase couldn't find the words to speak, meaning Cameron answered for him. "Chase had coffee spilt on him by…"

"I was talking to Dr. Chase," Cuddy snarled, interrupting her.

Taken aback by the venom in Cuddy's voice, Cameron took a step back. She spoke quietly, trying to placate the older doctor. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"I'm not interested," Cuddy cut her off. Somehow, there seemed to be double meaning to her sentence that she was trying to communicate to Cameron.

Cameron comprehended this, and nodded her head. Not wanting Cuddy to see how her statement had upset her, she decided to leave before Cuddy realised this. Without another word, she moved past Cuddy, flinching when their bodies touched as she exited the room.

Oh yes, House thought to himself. Something had definitely happened between them, though he had no idea what. The show now over, he stumped back to his desk, waiting for Cuddy to storm into his office and rant at him.

Little did he know that right now, yelling at him was the last thing on Cuddy's mind, as she had come to a realization.

She liked Cameron.

_Really_ liked her.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the wait guys, I was focusing on my other fics for the cuddyfest! Here's the next part all sorted though, so I hope you enjoy it. Cheers again for the reviews.**

* * *

After listening to Chase ramble on about how House was the cause of his wet trousers, Cuddy exited diagnostics, leaning against the wall and trying to clear her head. What Cameron had said to Chase about having someone there for her, making her laugh and feel special had struck a chord with Cuddy. That was exactly what she was looking for from a relationship, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, there was something about Cameron that kept drawing her in. She couldn't help thinking that if there was nothing between them she would have easily handled this, and she tested this theory by using Chase. If it had been Chase who had a crush on her, she knew she could easily have walked away, not caring in the slightest. Somehow the fact that it was Cameron changed things, and over and over in her head, Cuddy replayed the kiss they had shared. The kiss that she herself had initiated.

When she had watched Chase and Cameron talk, she felt flames of jealousy rise from within. Cameron didn't belong to him; not anymore. Hopefully it would stay that way. On the other hand, Cameron didn't belong to her either, and so she had no right to say whom Cameron was allowed to flirt with. She just wished that she didn't have to be witness to it, especially when the person Cameron had chosen to flirt with was her ex fuck-buddy. Ok, so Chase had been doing most of the flirting, but Cameron hadn't exactly backed away; had she?

"You're one to talk," House said, walking up to her.

"Excuse me?" Cuddy asked.

"You had a go at me for being mean to poor little Cameron and now you're doing the same," He replied.

"I had a go at you for teasing Cameron," Cuddy said, trying not to get too angry. "There's a difference."

"A small one," House waved off her opinion. "So, what happened with you two?"

"Nothing," Cuddy said a little too quickly. Changing the subject she pressed, "Anyway, what are you up to? I was informed that you were causing trouble down here."

"Did you see any evidence of trouble?" House raised an eyebrow.

"Aside from Chase's wet pants? No," Cuddy drawled.

"See," House said brightly. "I'm innocent."

Rolling her eyes, Cuddy walked away from him. She couldn't handle his games right now.

"Going to kiss and make up with your girlfriend?!" House yelled after her.

Cursing him, Cuddy decided to check the locker room for Cameron. She had a feeling that Cameron wouldn't be on the roof, especially considering the fact that that was where they had kissed the previous day. Cuddy could only hope that she didn't have to spend another half an hour looking for Cameron, when she wanted to speak to her now. She didn't really know what she was going to say other than sorry, and that she didn't know what she was feeling but maybe they should explore it. Telling Cameron she wasn't interested had been a bad idea, and she hoped that she'd understand it was said in the heat of the moment.

Luckily, Cuddy's decision to check the locker room paid off. Cameron was in there sitting on the bench, and once again, crying. Against her better judgement, Cuddy couldn't help saying from the doorway, "Do you have to cry every time someone does something to hurt you?"

Cameron turned her head in Cuddy's direction, revealing her tear stained cheeks. "If you have a problem with it then maybe you should stop making me cry." She spoke as harshly as she could bring herself to.

"Yesterday's tears were House's fault," Cuddy dismissed Cameron's words. "Unless you were lying to me."

Cameron didn't reply, just looked down in her lap and attempted to wipe the tears from her face. Without even thinking, Cuddy placed a hand on Cameron's leg, squeezing it in what was supposed to be a show of support.

"Why are you doing this?" Cameron finally spoke, though it was a whisper.

"Doing what?" Cuddy asked, confused.

"Giving me mixed signals." Cameron spoke again, elaborating, "First of all you tell me I'm not the sort of person you wanted a relationship with. Then; you kiss me. The next day you're cold with me, before you hint you're not interested, and now, suddenly, you're being nice again."

"I know," Cuddy admitted. "I'm sorry; this is confusing for me too. I just… I'm sorry, Cameron."

"Don't apologise; just stop," Cameron pleaded. "You're making it so hard for me."

"It's hard for me too," Cuddy informed her. "And seeing you with Chase just now… it made me realise."

"Realise what?" Cameron probed, confused.

Cuddy shifted closer to Cameron. "That I think I want to explore the possibility of us being together."

Cameron gawped; sure that Cuddy was winding her up. Since when had the Dean ever had any sort of romantic feelings for her? She had said she wasn't interested just a few weeks ago. "You're fucking with me."

"No," Cuddy shook her head vigorously.

"After what you said in your office? And just now in front of Chase? Don't think I didn't know what you really meant. Yeah Cuddy, you're _fucking_ with me," Cameron said with venom in her voice.

"Am I not allowed to change my mind?" Cuddy said fiercely, standing up.

"In three weeks?" Cameron exclaimed, standing up too. She towered over Cuddy with heels on, taller than her even though the smaller woman also wore heels. "No!"

"Not that it matters to you anymore," Cuddy ranted. "You seemed happy enough with Chase."

Cameron stared, open mouthed at Cuddy. "Excuse me? You're jealous over the fact that I was wiping coffee off a work colleague?"

"He's also your ex," Cuddy snapped. "And you said you'd go for a drink with him!"

"And we're not even together," Cameron said, in disbelief at what she was hearing. "What is this, you don't want to play with the toy but no one else can either?"

"That's not it at all!" Cuddy said defensively. "Didn't I just admit I had feelings for you? Do you think I'm lying? Is that it?"

"I don't know what to think, Cuddy," Cameron said, exasperated. "I don't know what to believe."

Making a decision in a split second, Cuddy grabbed the younger woman, slamming her up against the lockers. Connecting her mouth with Cameron's, she poured out all the pent-up frustration, the lust, the anger and the jealousy all into one kiss, showing Cameron the strength of her feelings. Cameron reciprocated after the initial shock wore off, and ferociously she pressed her lips to Cuddy's time and time again, pulling her tight against her own body and digging her nails into Cuddy's back. Cuddy allowed Cameron to take control briefly, before applying pressure to her upper arms and sliding her hands upwards until their hands met, effectively pinning Cameron against the locker. They continued kissing, on and on, so hard that Cameron was sure her lips were bruising, until eventually, knowing they couldn't continue in case anyone walked in, they reluctantly broke apart.

"Does that help you to decide?" Cuddy gasped, trying to catch her breath, releasing her grip on Cameron.

"Mmm," Cameron replied, brushing hair away from her face. "But I swear Cuddy; if you're playing games with me then I'll…"

"I'm not playing games," Cuddy broke in. "Just let me prove myself to you."

"One chance," Cameron warned. "You get one chance, and if I find out you're lying to me then so help me God I will not be responsible for my actions."

Despite the seriousness of Cameron, Cuddy couldn't help but smile. "Fighting talk huh? Cute."

"Shut up," Cameron retorted.

"You really are a piece of work, aren't you?" Cuddy said, raising an eyebrow.

"I prefer to call myself high maintenance," Cameron retaliated, smiling against her will.

Cuddy opened her mouth to deliver a comeback. "Sugarcoat it all you want sweetheart, you're still…"

"Don't turn into House," Cameron interrupted. "Be nice."

"That's your job, isn't it?" Cuddy said, but half heartedly as she stroked Cameron's cheek. Changing the subject, she said regretfully, "We should get back to work before House notices we've disappeared."

"Yeah," Cameron sighed, agreeing.

"Just act like yourself so he doesn't think anything is up, ok?" Cuddy instructed.

"Sure," Cameron smiled, placing a kiss upon Cuddy's mouth before they walked towards the door. "See you later so we can talk properly?"

"Later," Cuddy agreed, following Cameron through the door, shutting it behind her.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**Hehe, thanks for all the feedback. And SoNotEmo, glad you're betraying House/Cameron and that you liked the coffee prank. There's just one part after this, so I hope you guys continue enjoying it until the end!**

* * *

Once she had finished her shift, Cameron changed from her smart pants into a pair of jeans, wanting to look less formal. She wasn't sure what was happening with Cuddy, and was just about to go and find her, when Chase sidled up to her.

"So you ready for that drink then?" He said hopefully.

Cameron's heart sank as she remembered the plans she had made with him. She was going to back out, but one look at Chase's face told her that he was looking forward to it, and that letting him down would just be plain cruel; exactly what Cameron wasn't. So, plastering a smile on her face she said, "Sure."

"Great!" Chase exclaimed. "Shall we take your car or mine?"

"Uhh, yours," Cameron said distractedly. "I just need to stop by Cuddy's office first to drop off some paperwork, so I'll meet you out front?"

"Ok," Chase nodded. "See you in a sec." He left the diagnostics room, still smiling. Cameron sighed as she realised she was going to have to make it clear to him that there was no way they'd get back together. It was not going to be pleasant. What she was looking forward to even less was telling Cuddy that she was going for a drink with Chase instead of talking to her about what was happening between them.

Deciding it would be better to get it over and done with quickly, rather like pulling off a band aid; Cameron made her way to Cuddy's office. She was nervous about how she would word her plans, but knew that it was her only option. Lying to Cuddy was pointless; not only could she not think of a good enough excuse, but it wasn't exactly a good idea to start lying to someone before you were even officially together. That was anything but a good basis for a relationship.

This was why Cameron fully intended on telling the truth. She went straight through to Cuddy's office, her secretary having obviously finished for the day. Cameron found herself glad of this; she didn't particularly want to be overheard, no matter how slim the chance of this. Forcing herself to smile, Cameron entered the office after knocking.

Upon seeing that it was Cameron, Cuddy smiled and said teasingly, "You know, you're supposed to wait for me to say "Come in" before you do so."

Taking her seriously, Cameron started to apologise. "I didn't mean to…"

"Relax, it was a joke!" Cuddy exclaimed.

"Oh," Cameron suddenly felt foolish. "Well, I just came here to say… I'm not going to be able to see you until later."

Cuddy's face fell. "Why?"

Taking a deep breath, Cameron prepared herself. "I sort of… promised Chase I'd go for a drink with him earlier."

"I remember," Cuddy said coldly, her mood rapidly changing. "Can't you do it another night?"

"No," Cameron shook her head. "I said I would, and I'm going to. I'll see you later though; I'll only be an hour or so."

Cuddy continued to look annoyed, and when Cameron moved to take her hand, she pulled away. "Please don't be like this," Cameron pleaded. "It's a drink."

"He's your ex, Cameron," Cuddy said harshly.

"Exactly!" Cameron exclaimed. "My ex. And in case you've forgotten, I've had a crush on you for the past few months. If I wanted Chase, I could have had him anytime."

"Doesn't mean I don't get to be jealous," Cuddy muttered.

Cameron grinned. "And whilst I admit that jealousy can be sexy, it really isn't needed in this case." She moved towards Cuddy, glad when she didn't pull away this time. "So I'll see you later?"

Cuddy sighed, nodding her head. "Come to mine?"

"Sure," Cameron smiled. She wanted nothing more than to kiss Cuddy, but knew it would be a stupid thing to do when the walls were made of glass and the blinds weren't shut. "I'll need your address."

Cuddy broke contact with Cameron, moving towards her desk and scribbling her address on a piece of paper. She handed it to Cameron saying, "Here. And don't be too late."

"I won't," Cameron promised. "See you soon."

* * *

Surprisingly, drinking with Chase wasn't as painful as Cameron thought it might be. She was worried that he would be hitting on her every two minutes, but in fact, he seemed to have understood that they were drinking as friends, and friends only.

At least, until he broached the subject of their relationship. "So, can I ask you something? About us?"

Cameron sighed. "Go on."

"Did you… did you ever think we might work? Or did you know all along that I wasn't the one, for want of a better phrase?" He asked, curiously.

Cameron pondered her answer, wanting to be truthful. "I knew we wouldn't last," she eventually answered. "But I wanted us to. And if… if it was just us then things might not have ended as soon as they did, but a lot has changed since then."

"House," Chase couldn't help the trace of bitterness in his voice. "You're sleeping with him."

"What?" Cameron tried not to laugh. "No! Why would you think that?"

Chase shrugged. "He's been… different with you lately. Like you share a special secret and no one else is privy to it."

Cameron knew she had to choose her words carefully, not wanting Chase to know about what had happened between herself and Cuddy. It was bad enough that House, and therefore Wilson by proxy, knew. She didn't need anyone else finding out, before herself and Cuddy had even begun their possible relationship. "House has just been pestering me lately, saying that I'm behaving differently," Cameron answered. "It's just because I'm over him, Chase. Yeah, I used to have a crush on him, and no, I don't anymore. He doesn't like that and so he follows me around and tries to find out things about my personal life."

Chase nodded. "So you really aren't seeing him?"

"No," Cameron said adamantly.

"Are you seeing anyone else?" Chase asked awkwardly.

"I…" Cameron's voice faltered. "No." She felt slightly guilty for saying so, but it wasn't as if she was seeing Cuddy. Not yet, anyway.

Chase smiled. "I'm glad. I mean, I know there's no chance of you and I, but I'm glad you're not wasting yourself on some guy who doesn't deserve you. You should wait for the right one."

Cameron giggled. Though she wasn't drunk the alcohol was starting to take effect, and so, without being able to help it, she blurted out, "Or girl."

Chase frowned. "Huh?"

"Wait for the right girl," Cameron clarified.

"Ohhh!" Chase exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization. "You mean… you like women?"

Cameron blushed at Chase's choice of phrasing. "I guess."

"But… is that why you split up with me? For some mystery woman?" Chase couldn't stop himself from asking.

Shaking her head vehemently, Cameron insisted, "No. Look Chase, let me just explain something. There was no one else I ended things with you for, and this is just a drink between friends. We'll never be anything more, but that doesn't mean I don't want to spend time with you, I just don't want to spend time with you as a lover, ok?"

Surprisingly, Chase said, "Sure," in understanding. "I'm just glad you didn't dump me for House."

"No," Cameron sighed, wondering when _that _whole 'episode' would be forgotten. Wrapping things up, she stated, "Anyway, I'd better be off. I'm going to see if there's a taxi outside."

"It's fine, I'll give you a lift," Chase offered. He'd been drinking non-alcoholic drinks the entire evening, preferring to be a hundred percent sober whilst driving.

"No, honestly, don't worry." Cameron told him. "You stay here… pull some girl if you must." She grinned at him.

"Yeah, right," Chase rolled his eyes. "Because after being seen here with you I'm really going to get approached."

Cameron thought for a moment. "Tell them I'm your sister?"

Chase made a face. "Gross. Thinking of you as my sister… that's wrong!"

"Well I'm sure you'll think of something," Cameron stood, slightly unsteady on her feet. "Good night Chase."

"Night," Chase replied. "I'll stay here for a bit but I'll probably head off soon. I'm sure I'll sleep peacefully tonight knowing that you won't be having wild sex with our boss."

Cameron laughed. "You're right there." Walking away, she continued to smile to herself. She knew she wasn't being entirely truthful with Chase, but it wasn't too much of a lie, was it?

They weren't thinking of the _same_ boss.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

After paying the taxi fare, Cameron awkwardly climbed out of the car. She wasn't so drunk that she was falling to the floor and making no sense, but the alcohol was definitely having an influence on her. Any nerves she should have been feeling at entering Cuddy's home for the first time were non-existent, and smiling, she confidently walked up the driveway; stumbling once or twice. Upon reaching the door, she knocked sharply, leaning against it as she waited for Cuddy to open it.

She heard a click as Cuddy turned the lock and the next thing she knew, she'd fallen forward as the door moved back, no longer supporting her weight. She put her arms out to steady her fall, when she felt two hands grab her waist, supporting her.

"Whoa there…" Cuddy said dryly, helping Cameron to get her balance. She pulled the younger woman inside, closing the door behind her.

"Sorry," Cameron apologised, giggling at her own stupidity. "Didn't mean to do that!" She continued to smile at Cuddy, willing for her to smile too.

Instead, Cuddy frowned, taking her hands from Cameron's waist. "Have you been drinking?"

"A little," Cameron admitted, worried that she'd made Cuddy angry. "Look I only had a bit, I'm not completely wasted. Just tipsy." She moved towards Cuddy, placing a hand against her cheek. "You're not mad are you?"

Cuddy sighed, placated slightly by the contact Cameron made with her. "No... I just don't like the thought of you _drinking_ with Chase. It's bad enough you went for a drink with him, but being intoxicated makes it even worse."

Cameron tried not to smile, knowing that Cuddy wouldn't be impressed by her expression. "You really are jealous aren't you?"

"I'm not _that _jealous," Cameron looked at her disbelievingly. "No, I'm honestly not. It's just the fact that I wanted to spend time with you and instead you've been out having fun with Chase, whilst I've been waiting alone here."

Biting her lip, Cameron looked remorseful. "I'm sorry. But… I'm here now, so you don't have to worry about me and Chase. I told him there's no chance of us, and he accepted it. We're friends now, and that's the way it'll stay."

"Ok," Cuddy replied in a defeated tone, finally smiling at Cameron. "I'll say nothing more about it." She kissed Cameron's cheek, showing her that she accepted what she was saying. "Now, do you want to come and sit down?"

"Hmmm… I'd rather go upstairs though," Cameron said coyly.

"You sure?" Cuddy asked apprehensively.

"One hundred percent sure," Cameron returned Cuddy's smile, glad that she wasn't starting an argument between them. She followed Cuddy up the stairs and into the bedroom. Cuddy sat up on the bed, but instead of doing the same, Cameron straddled her, moving forward, kissing her on the mouth, taking time to savour the taste of her. She gently ran her hands up and down Cuddy's arms, squeezing as she felt Cuddy tense her muscles.

"Are we not going to talk first?" Cuddy gasped between kisses.

"Later," Cameron promised. "But I've waited long enough for this, so let's not waste anymore time."

"Hey, I've waited too!" Cuddy protested. "All night as a matter of fact."

"Boo hoo. I've waited months on end, so forgive me if I'm not sympathetic," Cameron teased, beginning to undo Cuddy's shirt.

"Fair point," Cuddy conceded. "And I guess that means that I have a lot of making up to do." She watched as Cameron finished undoing the last buttons, and slid her shirt off, not paying attention to where it ended up.

Cameron was just about to ask her how she intended on doing this, when Cuddy reversed their positions, throwing Cameron beneath her, and proceeding to climb on top of her. Instructing Cameron, she whispered, "Take off your top." Cameron did as she asked, raising her arms in the air behind her, and allowing Cuddy to help her to remove her top. She flung it to the side, before letting Cuddy trail kisses along her neck and clavicle, eventually moving down towards her stomach. She couldn't help staring at the Dean, her lacy black bra only serving to make her anticipation grow at the thought of what was to come.

Taking initiative, Cameron undid her own pants, grateful for Cuddy's assistance in helping her to slide them off quicker. She lay there in just her underwear, feeling exposed, but the alcohol running through her veins meaning that she didn't care, especially when she saw the look of appreciation that Cuddy wore upon her face. Feeling more confident as she saw the reaction she had upon the older woman, Cameron pulled Cuddy's skirt from her, the two now equals in the amount of clothing they wore. Pausing before she proceeded to remove Cuddy's undergarments, Cameron kissed her slowly, relishing the fact that they could take as much time as they needed.

As Cuddy's breathing became faster, Cameron upped the stakes and unclasped her bra. She moved to free Cuddy from her panties too, before Cuddy grabbed her hand, and gasped, "I don't think so, Dr. Cameron." She placed her lips to Cameron's neck, and mumbling, she added, "That bra of yours needs to go first."

Smirking at Cuddy's words, Cameron obliged, shivering slightly as Cuddy continued to nibble on her skin. She allowed Cuddy to continue kissing her, slowly getting lower and lower, before the other woman attempted to remove Cameron's underwear. "Uh uh," Cameron admonished, preventing her from doing so by taking hold of her hands. "Your turn."

Smiling, Cuddy conceded defeat, and in one swift motion, she got rid of her panties. Not to be outdone though, she quickly clasped hold of Cameron's, tossing them across the room on top of various other pieces of clothing.

"So," Cameron said, gazing into Cuddy's eyes. "Are we going to..?"

"Only if you want to," Cuddy said, stroking hair back from Cameron's face. "If you're not ready to then that's ok."

"Lisa," Cameron used Cuddy's name for the first time. "Do you honestly think I'd be lying here like this if I wasn't ready?"

Laughing, Cuddy chastely placed a kiss to Cameron's lips. "Ok then," she whispered. Lowering her head, she kissed, nibbled, and licked her way down Cameron's body, making her way towards Cameron's belly button. Briefly pausing, she flicked her tongue into it, then continued her journey downwards. She stopped at Cameron's clit, circling it several times, eventually thrusting it inside of her. At this point Cameron could no longer process coherent thoughts, and so she concentrated on the moment; on Cuddy. With pressure, Cuddy thrusted in and out of Cameron, elicting several gasps from her lover as she held tightly onto the sofa, before she came hard.

"Fuck," Cameron said breathlessly. "Lisa, I…"

"Shh," Cuddy raised her head, placed a kiss to Cameron's cheek. "Take a few seconds to get yourself together before you speak."

Cameron smiled, allowing Cuddy to cuddle up to her. "I can think of something I'd rather be doing…" Cuddy looked at her, confused. "Than speaking." Smirking, Cameron passionately kissed her lover, before reversing their positions so that she was the one straddling Cuddy. Leaning forward, she nibbled on Cuddy's neck, alternating between biting and sucking. She knew that her actions would leave a mark, and the mere fact that Cuddy was allowing her to do that made a rush, a thrill, run through her body. As she moved down to Cuddy's chest, she licked Cuddy's flesh, wanting nothing more than to taste her. She traced in a circular motion around Cuddy's nipples, causing her lover to writhe beneath her, gasping for air.

Lowering her head further, she placed a gentle kiss upon Cuddy's belly button, before she positioned her head between Cuddy's legs, sucking on her swollen nub. The moment she began doing so Cuddy bucked her body against Cameron, and with her hands she reached down, pushing Cameron's head into her, needing to release. Realising this, Cameron quickened her movements and increased the pressure, sucking Cuddy's clit harder. When she heard Cuddy's breathing become shallower, she plunged two fingers into her, moving them in an upwards and downwards motion until she heard Cuddy cry out, and felt her body go still.

For minutes after, Cameron remained curled into Cuddy, resting her head against the other woman's chest. No words were spoken whilst they both caught their breath, and Cameron contemplated the way in which the relationship between them had changed over the years. They had gone from strongly disliking, almost hating each other, to the exact opposite. Cameron was sure Cuddy would agree with her in thinking that it was completely surreal, and so she approached the subject; carefully of course.

"Lisa?" She said tentatively.

"Hmmm?" Cuddy mumbled into Cameron's hair.

Cameron sensed that she wasn't in the mood for talking, but couldn't stop herself from bringing about a conversation anyway. "Do you think it's weird how much things have changed between us?"

"What do you mean?" Cuddy asked sleepily, not understanding where the discussion was heading.

"Well we used to hate each other," Cameron said bluntly. "And suddenly we're… y'know…" she searched for the right words, not really sure what was going on between them.

"Fucking?" Cuddy suggested.

"Is that all this is to you?" Cameron couldn't keep the sadness from her voice, upset that Cuddy saw her as nothing more.

"What? No!" Cuddy exclaimed, more awake as she realised Cameron's insecurity. "I just… we are fucking; we haven't talked about what else this is going to be."

"Well can we? Discuss it I mean," Cameron clarified.

"You are such a girl, Allison," Cuddy teased. "Why the hell would you want to talk after sex like that?"

Cameron gave a small smile. "It was good for you then?"

"Phenomenal, actually," Cuddy said, returning the smile. "Look I don't really want to talk now, but I can see you won't be placated. So why don't you tell me what you want, I'll tell you what I want, and then we can _go to sleep_." She sat up, giving Cameron her full attention.

Cameron sighed. "I don't want this to be casual sex," She admitted honestly. "I want more than that."

"So do I," Cuddy simply agreed.

"Oh," Cameron said, surprised. "Well… good."

Cuddy laughed, placing a gently kiss on Cameron's forehead. "Does this mean we can go to sleep now?"

"Just one more thing," Cameron decided to take advantage of the fact that Cuddy was willing to talk. "The others… what do we tell them?"

"Nothing," Cuddy spoke with a firm voice. "House is probably going to figure it out on his own by being a smartass but there's no reason for us to publicly tell everyone."

"But surely if House figures it out then he won't be able to keep his mouth shut?" Cameron frowned.

"Leave House to me," Cuddy instructed. He'll only suspect for a while anyway, he won't be able to prove anything ergo not being able to do anything. He'll probably gossip with Wilson but to stop him opening his mouth to other people we'll have to come to some sort of compromise."

"Like a free live show?" Cameron joked.

Cuddy smirked. "I was actually thinking a month free from clinic duty and all the Vicodin and lollipops he could want," She slipped her tongue into Cameron's mouth, the urge to kiss her suddenly taking over.

"My way could be fun," Cameron moaned, lifting a leg over Cuddy's lap so she was in a sitting position above her.

"I never had you down as an exhibitionist, Dr. Cameron," Cuddy grinned. "And as amusing as your idea is; the answer is no. I want you all to myself." She proceeded to run a hand up Cameron's spine, admiring the younger woman's body in its' naked form. Unable to stop herself, she gently nipped Cameron's neck, before pulling her flush against her.

"Fine by me," Cameron said softly, leaning forward for another kiss. As she did so Cuddy lowered a hand, running it along the inside of Cameron's leg, causing her to gasp aloud. "I thought… you wanted to… sleep," Cameron's mind was back in the present, Cuddy having distracted her from thoughts of House.

"Changed my mind," Cuddy groaned. "Now shut up and kiss me."

* * *

**FIN**

**Well, thatzzit for now. For all the feedback and to anyone who's read and enjoyed it without saying so; thank you!**

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